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Dutch scientists get new drizzle radar

Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has installed a new weather radar which will boost our understanding of climate change by studying raindrops and cloud droplets. Called the Drizzle Radar, the new device was successfully mounted on the 213 metre high measureme...

Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has installed a new weather radar which will boost our understanding of climate change by studying raindrops and cloud droplets. Called the Drizzle Radar, the new device was successfully mounted on the 213 metre high measurement tower of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) on 23 August. From this lofty position it will be able to measure the smallest raindrops in a 30 kilometre zone around the observatory, measurements which are unique in the world and which are already attracting international attention. The data, along with other information collected at the site, will be used to help scientists understand the interaction between dust, clouds, rain and radiation. Although they are of great importance for the greenhouse effect, these factors are still poorly understood. On the one hand, clouds act as a blanket, trapping heat around the Earth, but on the other hand they cool the planet by reflecting sunlight back into space. The question for scientists is how and to what extent this cloud-related cooling could compensate for global warming. Dust particles are key to the process of cloud formation, as they act as 'condensation nuclei', around which water droplets form. Therefore more dust particles will lead to more cloud formation. This in turn will lead to more sunlight being reflected back into space and a cooler Earth. However, a cooler Earth will result in lower precipitation because cooler air cannot hold as much moisture as warmer air. By providing highly accurate measurements of cloud droplets and even the lightest of rainfalls, the Drizzle Radar will help researchers to determine cloud life cycles and their relationship to radiation and airborne dust.

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